Flickerfest 2026: 35 Years Of Shorts, Storytelling & Sydney Summer Magic
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Sydney’s favourite summer ritual is back. Flickerfest — Australia’s leading short film festival returns from 23 January to 1 February 2026 for its milestone 35th edition. And if the early buzz is anything to go by, this year’s lineup is shaping up to be one of the festival’s most ambitious yet.
With more than 3600 submissions pouring in from over 100 countries, Festival Director Bronwyn Kidd and her team have spent months sculpting a final program of just over 200 handpicked shorts — a lovingly curated mix of local brilliance, global standouts, and genre-spanning gems.
“It’s exciting for Flickerfest to have reached a landmark 35 years of championing short films in Australia,” Kidd says. “Becoming Oscar qualifying in 2002 really saw the profile of Flickerfest grow at home and internationally… opening up the festival to a broader range of creators and diverse voices.”
That diversity remains at the heart of the 2026 program. Audiences can expect the best of Australian, international and documentary competitions, alongside beloved showcases including EU Shorts, Rainbow Shorts, FlickerKids, Love Bites, and Short Laughs.
Kidd — who is herself celebrating 29 years as the beloved festival’s Director — says this year’s crop feels especially rich: “I’ve been impressed by the incredible vision, craft and creativity that these short films have expressed.”
There are also special events that Flickerfest regulars mark in their calendars months ahead — particularly the First Nations Showcase on Survival Day (January 26), which Kidd calls “not to be missed”. “It’s an incredible honour to welcome so many of the film’s creators on the day to celebrate and experience the resilience of their culture,” Kidd adds.
“Our long history of screening… under the stars, besides the beach, both unconventional and vibrant, allows us to celebrate two great Australian passions: beach culture and the arts,” Kidd says.
As Flickerfest prepares to roll out the red carpet, Kidd hopes audiences leave “uplifted and inspired… with short films that will stay with them for years — or at least til the next Flickerfest rolls around.”
Flickerfest 2026 runs 23 January – 1 February at Bondi Pavilion.
